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CyArk at Spar 2011

Conference Kicks Off in Houston with Strong Heritage Presence

by Elizabeth Lee

March 22, 2011

Over the last few years, CyArk has worked closely with Spar conference organizers to develop a strong heritage presence at the conference. As the conference officially kicks off this morning in Houston, we wanted to give an overview of some of the heritage highlights for the week.

Keynote Tuesday Morning

Ruth Parsons: Creating a World Stage for Scottish Innovation

The Scottish Ten is an ambitious five year project to use cutting edge technology to create exceptionally accurate digital models of Scotland’s five UNESCO designated World Heritage Sites and five international ones in order to better conserve and manage them. Historic Scotland Chief Executive Ruth Parsons will discuss how the Scottish Ten is positioning Scotland as a world leader in documentation and visualisation of the historic environment. Ms. Parsons will also discuss how the projects are creating opportunities to showcase Scottish innovation on a world stage, and to extend expertise and strengthen cultural and economic links.

Tuesday Evening Heritage Roundtable: 5:00-6:00pm Discussion

Optimizing the production of traditional deliverables, or,
How do we resolve the 3D to 2D challenge?

Advances in 3D capture have made it easier and faster to capture voluminous amounts of data. While the speed of capture continues to improve, the challenge of quickly producing reliable deliverables in the form of 2D CAD has not yet been resolved. What is required from these deliverables and how can we produce them at the same order of magnitude of improvement that we have achieved in 3D capture. Panelists will include representatives from the service provider industry, heritage industry, software producers, and end users.

Two CyArk projects from this past year are highlighted in presentations about Mt. Rushmore and the San Antonio Missions.

The Mount Rushmore digital preservation project has been one of the most talked about 3D laser scanning projects of the year. This presentation will cover why the project was undertaken, the complexities of the work, which included repelling the scanner over the side of the mountain, how the park is using the results now, and what additional steps will be taken over the next three years of the project. Blaine Kortemeyer, Deputy Director of Education and Interpretation and Member of the Rope Access Team at Mount Rushmore and Justin Barton of CyArk will present: Digitally Preserving Mt. Rushmore.

Al Remley, Chief, Division of Interpretation, San Antonio Missions National Historic Site will be giving a presentation on using 3D documentation to address the wide variety of needs at a national historic site.

What started as a traditional documentation project soon evolved to encompass NPS needs in interpretation, education, and youth engagement. Al Remley, Chief of Interpretation of the San Antonio Missions will discuss the digital preservation project that took place in partnership with CyArk. Results include documentation to aide in conservation efforts, virtual tours for visitors, and online 3D educational activities to engage high school students in the San Antonio area.

Digital Preservation of Historic Assets: Wednesday 3:30-5:00pm

This session is packed with presentations from around the world. Each of the three presenters are highlighted below:

Louis Zamora, Preservation Director, Taos Pueblo
Using the latest technology to preserve a traditional way of life

Continually inhabited for over 1000 years, Taos Pueblo holds the distinction of both a UNESCO world heritage site and a National Historic Landmark. Preservation Officer Louis Zamora will discuss how the Pueblo is using the latest technology to help preserve traditional building techniques and ensure the Pueblo survives another 1000 years.

Zhong Chen, Dynasty Group
Using Laser Scanning to Preserve the Wonders of the Caves of Dunhuang

Zhong Chen will discuss his many years of work in the heritage field in China. This work includes partnering with the famous Dunhuang Caves to digitally document and perserve the Buddhist art inside. Zhong will discuss how laser scanning has helped to achieve a long awaited archaeological report for the site.

Gina Haney, Project Coordinator for the Future of Babylon Project
Digitizing a Post-Conflict Landscape: World Monuments Fund and The Future of Babylon

At Babylon, ancient bricks lie in the shadows of Saddam Hussein’s palace as the Euphrates meanders through date plantations. Seemingly incongruous elements form a cultural landscape that, when read carefully, reveal the intersection of the past, present, and future.

GIS, laser scanning, and traditional condition surveys are tools employed through WMF’s partnership with the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage to document such layers. One undertaking was the engagement of CyArk to digitally capture the Ishtar Gate for the purpose of introducing laser scanning technology.

CyArk Booth: Tuesday-Thursday

Be sure to stop by the CyArk booth in the Town Hall Exhibit Center. Check out some of our latest projects and learn how to get involved.